"We're discussing plans to hold a statewide conservation summit later this year, possibly in September and there was some detailed discussion around what that summit should look like what it should seek to achieve.

"We're keen to bring together the very latest science together with stakeholders to talk about how we can best protect and restore koala populations, " he said.

"There's been a concerted push at a national level and also in NSW by industry, by developers and by the mining lobby to weaken many of the environmental protections that the community has fought so hard for.

"If the koala's in decline, it's a good sign that we need stronger environmental protections, not weaker," he said.